Picture this: You're sitting at a bar or restaurant, cozied up quietly with your favorite read, and it doesn't feel, well, weird. That's thanks to the rise of the global concept, the Silent Book Club.

While we're sure people have been doing this for a number of years, the official Silent Book Club organization started in 2012. A couple of friends in San Francisco met a neighborhood bar, picked up their books, and began "reading in companionable silence."

Coined with a tagline "Welcome to the introvert happy hour," the Silent Book Club is now a worldwide phenomenon with 1000+ chapters across 50 countries led by local volunteers. Unlike a traditional book club, there are no assignments, no guided discussion — just you and your book, surrounded by fellow bookworms.

Local opportunities

If this sounds right up your alley, you're in luck. Joseph-Beth Booksellers is home to Lexington's own Silent Book Club chapter. The group meets on the second Monday of each month, 7-8:30 p.m.

Other groups are hopping in on the trend with their own version of the concept. Here's a couple we found:

Read Between the Vines | Ghost Fox Winery, last Wednesday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m.
Teen Tuesday Silent Book Club | Marksbury Family Branch of the Lexington Public Library, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 5-6 p.m.

Have you been to a silent book club we aren't aware of? Let us know, and we'll keep the list growing.